Satisfying whatever the weather
4:20pm Tuesday 13th December 2011 in Eating Out By Stephen Webb
Satisfying whatever the weather
EAT AT: The Old Boathouse, Spine Road East, South Cerney, Gloucestershire GL7 5TL.
Tel 01285 864111. Food served seven days a week, from 11am
THE Old Boathouse is a great summer gastro-pub. It’s a real treat to sit on its sun-trap deck – if you can get a table – overlooking one of the Cotswold Water Park lakes, sipping a pint of real ale, tucking into home-made fish and chips and browsing through the papers.
But what’s it like when winter sets in? Outdoor dining is not an option – the temperature will keep you indoors and the lake view is restricted to inky blackness – but the interior still offers warmth and cheeriness, and a pleasantly informal setting to sample some superb food.
The menu is intriguing and, while not especially extensive, you need a bit of time to make your choice.
And as it was tough choosing our starters, my wife and I agreed to share a deli board. The menu has a selection of different nibbles – you choose what you want (£1.95 each) and they arrive attractively arranged on a slate (have you noticed how trendy slates have become in restaurants of late?).
So a slate of bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip, partridge, duck and foie gras terrine, whitebait with lemon mayonnaise and beef teriyaki were eagerly, but politely, devoured between us. They weren’t the most generous of portions, but they were delicious and I regretted offering my wife the last morsel of teriyaki.
My main course was pan-fried fillet of sea bass (£13.95), which came with crispy ham, potato and Jerusalem artichoke gratin, buttered curly kale and a clam and white wine sauce.
The fish was beautifully cooked and its delicate flavour was perfectly complemented by the potato and artichoke gratin and the wonderfully piqant sauce.
Across the table, my wife enjoyed her oven roasted corn-fed chicken supreme (£14.95), which was served on a warm salad of wild rice, curly kale, sweetcorn and chilli served with a lemon thyme sauce. It looked healthy and hearty and she said it tasted so, although there was a little too much chilli for her taste.
She was able to counter that with her dessert – a Granny Smith apple mousse (£5.95), which came with cinnamon doughnuts and apple and cinnamon ice cream. The dish was unusual, she said, but was still tasty and refreshing, especially the ice cream.
I chose sticky toffee brioche pudding (£6.25) which was served with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream, and was as gooey and satisfying as it sounds, and a perfect winter warmer.
Whatever the season, the Old Boathouse is worth a visit. Just off the A419, just north of Cricklade, it’s easy to find (it’s next to the Four Pillars hotel), the staff are cheerful and friendly, and the food is excellent. – stephen webb
